Humans
by letgo
Summary: Inu Yasha lives with Kagome in her time. Her friend, Yuka's disappeared, and with a very familair face. Plus wait till you see what big bro gave Inu Yasha. Umeko will return next chapter, so watch out. For update schedule, check out my profile.
1. The change and friends

"Inu Yasha, are you sure you want to do this?" Kagome asked, watching his face.

"Just give me the damn jewel," he retorted. Kagome handed him the newly formed Shikon no Tama. Holding it in the palm of his hand, Inu Yasha quickly made his wish, then swallowed the jewel to ensure that the wish would work. As soon as he did, he felt the jewel's magic take effect.

Both of them watched as his hair dulled to black, his doggy ears disappeared, only to see human ears take their place. His claws shrunk until they were no more. Finally, Inu Yasha was human. Only his eyes stayed the same. They stayed the beautiful, golden orbs that she loved so much. She'd miss the doggy ears though.

Walking hand in hand, they said good bye to their friends. Sango and her brother Kohaku were together at last. Miroku had disappeared shortly after, and Shippo had found some of his kin. Kaede had died a year before. Jumping down the well, Kagome said a silent good bye the past.

"Mom, Sota, Jii-chan! I've someone I want you to meet!" Kagome yelled, running up to her house. Sota came bursting out, followed by her mother and grandfather.

"Kagome, you're back so soon," her mother noted.

"I know. Man am I hungry," she grinned.

"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Hiragashi told her daughter. "You're welcome to join us Inu Yasha," Mrs. Hiragashi invited the teen boy. Everyone went in and sat down to eat.

"Inu Yasha, you can stay in my room," Sota started. He began to list all the things they would do. At this, Kagome had to smile at the bewildered look upon Inu Yasha's face. After they finished eating dinner, the family split to their separate ways. Mrs. Hiragashi went to read her book she had started the night before about a young girl who traveled to the past and found her true love. Jii-chan went to his workroom in the shrine for his daily mediation, while young Sota managed to drag the once hanyou teen up to his room, and last but not least, the teen girl of the family went off to study.

Just as she was getting ready to go to bed, Inu Yasha burst into the room. He closed her door and sat with his back pushed against it.

"Your brother," the guy gasped, "is a tornado. All he does is talk and talk and talk. Then he goes and turns on a thing he called a plah-stah-shon and starts talking about all this stuff that makes no sense," Inu Yasha told a bewildered Kagome.

"Poor you," she giggled.

"Come on! I know you're in there Inu Yasha!" Sota's muffled voice traveled through the door.

"Good night Inu Yasha," Kagome said, laughing as her brother dragged him off down the hall and into their room.

Alarm blaring, Kagome woke to find Inu Yasha asleep on her floor. "Wake up sleepyhead," she cooed in his ear.

"Ugh, 5 more minutes, please," he mumbled out, making her smile. 'Just like a little kid,' she thought. She let him sleep for five more minutes, then left to go take a quick shower. After she was down and dressed, Kagome headed downstairs to eat breakfast.

Sota was chowing down on his cereal, Jii-chan was still asleep, and her mother was slowly eating a bagel. Kagome noticed Inu Yasha eating something quickly, her guess was that he had his favorite, Instant Ramen. Noticing the time, she grabbed a bagel and yelled good bye to her family, running off like there was no tomorrow to make it to school on tine.

"Kagome," a very familiar voice called to her when she arrived at school. Turning around, she was face to face with her three best friends in the world, Kontonkaze Eri, Ruailong Ayumi, and Gintsuki Yuka.

"Yuka, Ayumi, Eri! It's so nice to see you guys!" She squealed. The four friends quickly caught up on all they'd missed over the summer. Walking into high school, Kagome could hardly believe she was finally in her last year of schooling, unless, of course, she decided to go off to college. The day passed by at an incredibly fast speed.

As lunch rolled around, she remembered that she had forgotten her lunch at home. Right after the lunch bell rang, she heard her name called down to the office. Yuka, who worked in the office during part of the afternoon, went down with Kagome.

"Hello Mina-san," Yuka greeted one of the girls working in the office. Kagome quickly recognized why she had been called down to the office.

"Inu Yasha, what are you doing here?" She inquired.

"You forgot this, this morning, " he said, handing her a brown paper sack that she knew held her forgotten lunch's contents.

"That's sweet of you," she thanked him.

"Your mother insisted," he told her.

"Okay, well see you after school," she answered.

"Whatever," he called back, already walking towards the building's exit. After school, as Kagome and her friends were leaving, she saw Hojo coming their way. He was now in their grade due to a case of mono he had acquired the previous year, forcing him to repeat the grade.

"Hiragashi!" Hojo called to her. She and her friends stopped.

"Hello, Hojo-kun," she answered him, inwardly groaning.

"There you are!" A voice from behind her yelled. "I've been looking everywhere for you," the voice went on. She knew this voice almost as good as her own, and as she thought this, she felt a familiar weight of a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, I am going home. You could have just stayed there," she answered.

"No way! Not with your little brother there," Inu Yasha replied. Kagome grinned, her little brother's school got out half an hour before her's did, and since they lived within five minutes walking distance of the elementary, she knew Inu Yasha had that half an hour to be tortured by her brother.

"Be glad Sota didn't bring any of his friends home," she told him. "Because, if he had, last night would have been nothing compared to what they would have done," she told him. "Although, last night certainly was hilarious," she added.

"Maybe for you, but I didn't think it was very funny," he grumbled.

"Hiragashi, who is your friend?" Hojo asked.

"You know, he brought her lunch to school for her. Isn't that sweet of him," Kagome heard Yuka tell Ayumi and Eri.

"That's so cool," Eri sighed.

"Oh yeah, everyone, this is Inu Yasha. Inu Yasha, this is Yuka, Eri, Ayumi, and Hojo," Kagome told everyone, pointing to each person as she said their names.

"Whatever," Inu Yasha snorted.

"So, why are you here?" She inquired.

"Your mom asked me to give you this," he answered, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"Hmm, well we better get going. Later you guys," she called to her friends, walking off with Inu Yasha.

A/N: Hey, it's me, AJ. How do you like this story? I wrote this story back in February and though it's not finished, I like it. If you really want to know, this is technically the first two chapters, but the chapters are so short that I'm putting two or three in one to make up the chapter I'm posting. In fact, I've got about 18 chapters and a little of a 19th written out. So, that would equal out to about nine chapters at the moment.

Something I noticed when I originally wrote the second chapter is that very few stories are written in present tense. I read a lot, both fan fictions and published books, and have found few written in the present tense. One book I've read in present tense is Zel by Donna Jo Napoli. It's a retelling of the fairy tale Rapunzel.

I'm such a sucker for those stories. I just love how many variations you can have for each fairy tale. One of the best author's I've found that does these stories is Robin McKinley, who doesn't allow her work on the site. Spindle's End is just so amazing and beautifully written. Beauty is also a wonderful story, but I believe that Spindle's End is her best work.

East by Edith Pattou is a really cool book, though a little confusing at the beginning. I love how she changes to the different points of view so easily, a true skill. It also has one of my favorite lines ever in it as part of the main plat. The line: East of the sun, West of the moon.

Guess what that means? It means nowhere. You cannot go east of the sun, west of the moon. You'd end in the same spot. That is if the two would even stay in the same place long enough for you to travel in each direction. Hey, if you know of any fairy tale remakes, will you tell me in your review?

Also, I do take anonymous reviews, but for any of those who don't have an account, email me your email address and I'll tell you when I update. Look on my profile page to find out my addy. If you want to cancel, just send me a blank message with cancel in the subject. oh, and anyone waiting for me to get the next chapter of Him out, you'll have to wait until I find the story. Ja ne!


	2. Shopping, Visitors, and Umeko's Niece

All the note said was for them to go to the store and get a gallon of milk and a bag of sugar. It also told them to hurry, for they were going shopping for clothes that for Inu Yasha. So Kagome walking into the store with Inu Yasha following her like a bodyguard. She noticed in the few short minutes they were there a few guys trying to decide if she was worth talking to, though seeing Inu Yasha made up their minds quickly. She smiled and grabbed the few items her mother requested. Just as they were leaving, they passed a display for Instant Ramen, which was on sale. He started to beg for the stuff.

"No, I'm not buying you any Instant Ramen," she told him.

"But," he looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"No, and hurry up! We're going to the mall tonight," she scolded him when he started to lag behind.

"What's a mall?" He asked, curiously, easily catching up with her.

"It's one of the best things in the world," she declared. She picked up her pace, humming a tune. When they arrived home, she quickly put away the milk and sugar.

"Get your coat, dear," her mother told her as they were leaving. Getting into the car, Kagome was sure Inu Yasha was squashed. Her mother and Jii-chan were in the front, while Kagome and Sota each claimed a window seat in the back, putting Inu Yasha in between them.

When they arrived, Kagome took one look at Inu Yasha's face and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I feel a little sick," he mumbled, clutching his stomach.

"Don't worry. It'll pass in a few minutes," Mrs. Hiragashi responded. Sota ran off to the electronics store, while Kagome's ojii-chan, or grandfather, walked off to visit a friend, the owner of a local bookstore situated in the mall who sold rare books. This left Mrs. Hiragashi, Kagome, and Inu Yasha to shop for his clothes.

Mrs. Hiragashi and Kagome started pulling a variety of things off the shelves and racks. Handing him a small mountain, they pushed him into a dressing room. They could hear his protesting, and only after promising not to look until after he changed, even though he was in an entirely separate place from them, did he begin to change. After several outfits, they decided to get him the four things they all liked best. Going around and picking up a few things that were about his size, Inu Yasha now had an almost complete wardrobe. After paying for the stuff, they decided to meet in front of WacDonald's in an hour, while Mrs. Hiragashi went off to tell Sota and Jii-chan.

"Come on, Inu Yasha, I want to go look at cd's," Kagome told him, pulling him towards a record place. He tagged along, not wanting to lose her in the crowds. For the next hour or so, they walked around, Kagome pointing out things to Inu Yasha. Everything was new to the teen boy, so he would constantly ask her questions about the things. Meeting up with her family and picking out what to eat was a challenge. Jii-chan had left, getting a ride home form his friend, the bookstore owner.

Kagome and Sota had no idea's for what they could eat. Mrs. Hiragashi was thinking off the next night's dinner, while Inu Yasha was just plain confused. Finally, after they choose what to eat, the next problem was finding a place to sit down and eat. Sota ran over to a few of his friends, and luckily, about the time they got their food, a table cleared. Kagome, her mother, and Inu Yasha quickly claimed the table and began to eat. Mrs. Hiragashi had to practically drag Sota away form his two best friends, Kazuma and Shinji. This made Kagome snicker. They stuffed Inu Yasha's clothing into the trunk. Kagome quickly claimed the front passenger seat, and her little brother took the seat behind her. Inu Yasha was left to have the seat behind Mrs. Hiragashi.

Pulling into their driveway, they found a car parked in it. Everyone but Inu Yasha immediately recognized the car, while a poor Inu Yasha had to deal with a super hyped Sota.

"Alright! It's Uncle Shi and Aunt Ume!" Sota exclaimed.

"I wonder why they're her?" Mrs. Hiragashi wondered aloud. As soon as the car stopped, Sota launched himself out of the car. Kagome and Inu Yasha grabbed the stuff that had been bought and followed Sota at a more leisurely pace. Walking into the living room, Kagome found herself looking at two people she hadn't seen in a while.

"Hey mom, where do you want us to put this stuff?" Kagome asked, talking about herself and Inu Yasha.

"Why don't you put it on Inu Yasha's bed and you can put it away later, okay Inu Yasha," Mrs. Hiragashi told them as Inu Yasha nodded his head.

While they went upstairs, Kagome's Uncle turned to his twin sister and asked, "Shinju, how have you been?"

"Not much Shiro. What about you guys?" Mrs. Hiragashi responded.

"A little of this, a little of that," Aunt Umeko answered for her husband. "But I noticed that you've acquired a young man. Who is he?" She asked.

"His name's Inu Yasha and he's a friend of Kagome's," Mrs. Hiragashi admitted.

"But you told them to put that stuff on his bed, so doesn't that mean he lives here?" Uncle Shiro asked his sister.

"He does live here," Mrs. Hiragashi answered.

"Hello, Uncle Shiro, Aunt Umeko," Kagome greeted her relatives as she came into the room Inu Yasha following her like a shadow. She sat on the couch next to her aunt and mother. Inu Yasha stood in the door way, not really feeling as though he belonged there with them. Kagome had a feeling that they'd been talking about her from the way it was silent in the room.

"Shiro, Umeko, would you like some tea?" Mrs. Hiragashi asked, trying to break the silence.

"That sounds lovely. Why don't Kagome and I help you," Aunt Umeko answered. Getting up, the three ladies went into the kitchen to get some tea for everyone to drink.

"So, your name's Inu Yasha, right?" Uncle Shiro began.

"Yes, sir," Inu Yasha replied.

"How long have you known Kagome?" Shiro went on.

"Umm, about 2 years or so," replied the teen who could practically feel the sweat drop.

"How did you two meet?" Shiro continued.

"A cousin of mine, Kaede, who was a friend of Kagome's introduced us," Inu Yasha told him, giving Kagome's uncle the lie that the two had come up with on how they'd met. "She moved to Kyoto last year," Inu Yasha went on to say.

"Where did you two meet?" Shiro asked.

"On the grounds here, at the Goshinboku," he replied truthfully.

"We're back," Mrs. Hiragashi's cheerful voice rang as she, her daughter, and sister-in-law walked in. She was carrying a tray that held cups of tea. "So, Shiro, what brings you two here?" She asked.

"Well, the truth is Shinj, that the plumbing at our house is broken, and we were hoping we could stay with you while it's being fixed," Shiro answered.

"Shi, of course you and Umeko can stay here," She told her brother.

"Inu Yasha, could you please get out of that doorway and come into the room?" Kagome asked.

"Why?" Was the answer he gave.

"It's annoying," she said as Inu Yasha walked into the room, grumbling.

"Inu Yasha, would you mind staying in Sota's room for a few more nights?" Mrs. Hiragashi asked to teen.

"Sure," he replied.

"Then it's settled, Shiro, Umeko, you two can stay in the guest room until he plumbing in your house is fixed," Mrs. Hiragashi announced with a smile.

After Umeko and Shiro moved their clothing into the guest room. everyone went their separate ways. Jii-chan went to bed, Umeko and Mrs. Hiragashi went on talking. Kagome went off to do her homework, while Sota showed Shiro his new Play station games. Not really getting what the two guys were talking about, Inu Yasha went to Kagome's room.

"It's odd, you without silver hair and the doggy ears," she commented after a while. "I'll miss the doggy ears, I always thought they were cute. But I'm glad your eyes stayed the same," she went on. She had her back turned to him and didn't notice his face turning scarlet.

"Really?" He asked in awe. Sitting on her bed, he watched her study at her desk.

"Yeah," she answered. He laid on her bed and fell asleep. When she was finished with her homework, she noticed him asleep. Smiling, she looked at his face. 'He looks so peaceful,' she thought. "Wake up sleepyhead," she whispered, blowing on his ear.

"Uhh, what? Where am I?" He woke, disorientated

"You've got to leave so I can change," she demanded. Closing her door when she left, she quickly changed into her pajamas. Laying on her bed, she began to read a book. A knock on her door interrupted her. "Come in," she called. Inu Yasha walked in. "What do you want Inu Yasha?" She asked.

"Nothing," he answered. He sat ion the floor, his back to her bed. Kagome went back to reading. After a while, Inu Yasha broke the silence by saying, "I miss them you know."

"I miss them, too, but..." her voice trailed off.

"I wonder what happened to the monk and my stupid brother," Inu Yasha thought aloud.

"I don't know, but maybe we can go to the library one of these days and find out," Kagome told him.

"A le-bray-he?" Inu Yasha asked, confused.

"It's a place full of books and has just about anything you could need to find out," Kagome explained.

"Oh," was his reply. Kagome went back to reading. After about an hour or so, Kagome heard a little snore coming from the floor.

"Good night Inu Yasha," she whispered, turning off her lamp and going to sleep herself.

Umeko happened to walk by her niece's room. Opening the door, she popped her head in to say good night, but instead, found her niece and that boy both asleep. Her mind thought off all the things they could do. It enraged Umeko at the thought that boy defiling her precious niece, who was a pure and innocent as a person could be. Then she saw where that boy's hand was. It was next to her face, his head lying on his arm, which was on Kagome's bed. The looks on both of their faces was the same, happy and peaceful.

Umeko closed the door and headed downstairs.

"Shinju, did you know that that boy is asleep in your daughter's room!" Umeko spit out.

"Okay," Mrs. Hiragashi shrugged casually.

"What! Why aren't you worried? He could defile her!" Screeched the aunt.

"He won't," Mrs. Hiragashi said calmly.

"With that attitude he may have already!" Umeko threw at Mrs. Hiragashi.

"Good night Shiro, Umeko," nodding to each, Mrs. Hiragashi went to bed.

"Umeko, I bid go goodnight," Shiro told his wife as he, too, went off to bed. Sighing, Umeko joined the others of the household in slumber.

The next morning, the sound of someone laughing woke the four adults. They stumbled downstairs. They found a surprise waiting for them in the kitchen. There was breakfast sitting for them on the table. A note was sitting on the counter. It read:

Hey everyone,

Inu Yasha and I are going to the library. Hope you like the breakfast I made. We'll be back around three or so.

Kagome.

Since there was nothing else they could do, they family woke up Sota and ate breakfast.

A/N: Wow, hat was long. Three chapters in fact. This is when the plotline really starts to pick up, the chapters flow together much more easily. I'm sorry if there are any typos I missed. My beta is off in Florida, where she is staying until mid-July. Also, this Wednesday I start marching, so don't look for updates as fast. I'll still try to write a chapter a day. Also, sorry that last time my rave was so long. I kind of do that sometimes.

Just to clear something up, Shiro and Shinju (Mrs. Hiragashi) are twins, and Umeko is Shiro's wife, and she and Mrs. Hiragashi grew up best friends, but have grown apart of the last few years. Shiro and Umeko live on the other side of Tokyo.

I do not own Inu Yasha or any of it's people, places, and things. I own Sota's friends, you can use them if you want. But I also own Shiro and Umeko, and they CANNOT be used without MY permission. If they are used without my permission I will report you.


	3. Spending time withe Inu Yasha

Kagome and Inu Yasha walked to into the Tokyo Public Library. They walked over to the information kiosk and she asked, "Do you know where we can find books on the Sengoku Jidai, it's for a school project?"

"Sure, the books you're looking for are over there, third shelf from the left, fourth set of shelves," the woman at the kiosk informed them.

"Arigato," Kagome replied. She and her companion headed the way the librarian had directed them, and when arrived, promptly began pulling quite a few books of the e shelves. She turned to Inu Yasha and asked, "Can you read Inu Yasha?"

He hesitated but answered her question, "Not very well."

"Okay, well why don't you look for these things," she told him, writing a small list of things down. She opened a book and began looking through its index. She could tell Inu Yasha enjoyed the challenge. Kagome looked for Miroku, while Inu Yasha, who actually knew the spelling of his half brother's name, looked for Sesshoumaru. The two sat looking through books for three hours. Kagome sighed and looked up.

"Let's go get something to eat," she suggested.

"Sure," he replied. They put the books back and walked out of the library. Kagome felt a little tired and laid her head on his shoulder. He looked surprised, but didn't complain, but instead slid his arm around her waist. They walked like this until they reached WacDonald's. After they got their food, they sat down at a small table meant for two or three people.

"Kagome!" A voice yelled out. She turned around to see Yuka.

"Yuka! What are you doing here?" Kagome asked.

"Not much. I just stopped by to grab something to eat," the teen girl told her friend. She whispered in Kagome's ear, "Are you on a date?"

"No, well, maybe. I dunno," Kagome whispered back. The two giggled, which made Inu Yasha look at them funny.

"Oh, well, ja ne!" Yuka told them, leaving.

Kagome and Inu Yasha finished their meal quickly after that, then headed back to the library. They walked back the same way they came. Settling back down, Kagome opened a book and began to read. After another two hours, she sighed.

"It's time to go home," she informed Inu Yasha. Grabbing five books that had caught her attention, she checked them out. At the same time, Inu Yasha applied for a library card so he could come when he got bored and check stuff out. They walked home, though not in the same way they had before.

When they reached the shrine grounds, Kagome told her mother she'd be outside reading, which she would be doing. Taking out a book she'd found, she took it to the Goshinboku and began to read.

_Shippo was a young boy, near the age of 7 when he was found. He grew into a young man before our eyes. He would constantly amuse the children, and everyone else for that matter, with his story telling. He told tales of youkai and o heroes on an adventure. But, he claimed one tale he told an epic truly, of what he called his adventures before he arrived here. That tale was the most amusing one he told. There was a hanyou, a miko, a demon slayer, a truly amusing monk, a demon named Naraku, and a woman who he claimed was merely a clay pot with a soul._

Ten years after we found young Shippo, a young girl stumbled into the village. Her name was Rin. They greeted each other, amazing the village. They would spend hours talking in the fields about the past. It seemed that they had known each other as children.

Everyone expected the two to marry. Indeed, Shippo asked for her hand many a time, but each time Rin would refuse, saying a man named Sesshoumaru would not allow it. When Shippo was told this, shivers ran up his spine. He'd obviously had past dealings with this Sesshoumaru.

When Rin was found with child, a man named Sesshoumaru came to the village, taking her away. Shippo grieved his loss. None doubted why, for everyone knew who the father was. It was odd though, for the man named Sesshoumaru was murmered to be youkai, even though he appeared as human as anyone of us did. It wasn't but a fortnight (1)_ later that Shippo disappeared, never to be seen again._

Kagome sighed, not quite expecting to get that much information. Unfortunate for her, that was where that passages ended. She skimmed through the rest of the book, but found no more.

"Inu Yasha, I found something," she told him after dinner. She then proceeded to tell him what the book had said.

"What!" He shouted in surprise.

"I know, who would've thought Shippo and Rin," she answered him.

"Not just that, but my brother," Inu Yasha replied.

"It's odd, I'll agree to that," she admitted. With a sigh, she pulled out her dreaded homework. Inu Yasha sat on her floor, thinking of the life he had left behind.

Just when he was getting ready to leave, she asked a very important, simple, yet so complex question. "Inu Yasha, do you miss the life you could've had? I mean, what if you'd stayed back in your time with Kikyo. Do you think about that?

He sighed, not knowing what to say, then answered, "Ai shite'ru (2)."

"Thank you," she whispered as he left.

Her head heard his words ringing over and over. With a smile she fell asleep. Many hours later, when everyone else had fallen under sleep's spell but he himself, Inu Yasha thought of the life he had, could have had, and the life he was living now.

Meanwhile, a Miss Kagome found herself waking at 1 A.M. in the morning. So, she thought of the future. She blushed at the images of the two of them sharing a kiss under the tree of fate. Then she thought of them having children, a boy and a girl. She blushed even more furiously, but that's what she did for three hours.

Finally, at a much more reasonable time, she got up and ready for school. She grabbed her bag, which was very light now, and made herself a bowl of hot cereal (3). Nobody came down while she ate, so Kagome washed her bowl and left for school.

"Kagome!" Eri screeched. "There you are!"

"Sorry, but hey, I'm on time for once," Kagome joked as she turned to face her friend.

"Hey, there you guys are! Don't go in yet!" Ayumi yelled to them. The duo turned around and waited for Ayumi to catch up.

"Ayumi, you need up get up earlier," Eri joked with her friend. The three proceeded going inside, coming with the conclusion that Yuka was feeling under the weather that day. Walking into homeroom, the three sat in their usual spots, by the windows. Eri sat next to the windows, with Ayumi behind her. Kagome sat next to Eri, with the seat behind her empty, for it was Yuka's. The three friends found the day dull.

During fifth hour though, the principal's voice came in over the P.A. system. The voice said, "Teachers, please allow these five students to come down to the office: Akamatsu Hojo, Hiragashi Kagome, Kontonkaze Eri, Ruailong Ayumi, and Tora Ai. That is all." The voice crackled off. Puzzled, Kagome and Hojo looked at each other; they had this class together, then headed down to the office together. Ayumi, then Eri joined them. When they got to the office, they found Tora Ai had beaten them there.

"In here," the principal told them and watched as the five students filed in. "Sit down," he ordered. Looking at the couch, the five students sat down. Kagome found herself in the middle, Eri and Hojo on her right, Ayumi and Tora Ai on her left.

"Sir, may I ask, why are we here?" Tora Ai asked.

Clearing his throat, the principal replied, "A very good question, young lady. It's about your cousin, Gintsuki Yuka. She has disappeared." His answer was met by the gasps of everyone.

"What!" Eri screeched, not believing what she had heard.

"It's believed that a man with the initials M.L.S. has taken her. We know that the M. and L. stand for My Lord, but as for the S, we have no idea. We were hoping, seeing as you are her friends, and family," he told them looking at Tora Ai, " that you may know," he finished. "Think about," he told them when they denied it. "You may go back to class," he sighed. The five teens left, heading back to class.

A/N: Three chapters again. The seventh chapter wasn't long, but I say it's one of the most important chapters in the story. That's the chapter where Inu Yasha says his line to Kagome. This chapter, all three that is, is very important. See what I meant last time about the plot starting to pick up a little bit more.

(1) A fortnight is equals to exactly two weeks.

(2) Literally translated it means, You I love, but translated in English, it means I love you.

(3) Hot cereal is oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc.

Also, Tora means Tiger in Japanese, Ai means love.

Marching season has started. Poor me, because marching drums are loud. Especially when they do the casadence or however it's spelled. If I had been smart, I would have taken the earplugs. So, don't look for very many updates until after July 4th.

Also, I've got a few stories I want to put up after I finish this one. The end is actually pretty close. I'm writing chapter 19, short chapters for those who don't remember, and I want your guys's opinion on what I should put up. Should it be:

A. Someday, my very first fic I ever wrote. It's about Miroku and his past. My opinion why, at least for this story, why Miroku asks his infamous question. It would have about two or three chapters about or little longer than these.

B. AU, a definite AU. It's not finished, but has about six long chapters and one short, so far. Kagome's a single mom with two kids. Kikyo, Sango, Koga, and Sesshoumaru were her crew in high school, but she's broken off all ties with them. Inu Yasha is a singer who's trying to get discovered while dealing with the heartache he experienced when his ex girlfriend Kagura hurt him. Naraku is Kagome's gay boss, who's going out with Rin's little brother Jaken, while Rin works alongside Kagome at the Blues' Cafe.

or C. Baby, it's a Kagome/Inu Yasha story with just two long chapters. There are, so far, at least two follow up stories to it, with a third in the makings. I like to call it my Tomiko Saga, since it's a pro generation and the main character for most of it is a person named Tomiko. The chapters for the two follow up stories would be about this size, while Baby's two chapters are, I'm guessing, about this size plus a fourth of the size added on, so kind of long.

Well, that's all I have to say other than, I do not own Inu Yasha or any of it's people, places, and/or things. Oh, yeah, the Shippo part wrote itself. Ja ne until next time.


	4. Yuka returns, Inu Yasha's gift

For the next week, the five teens thought and thought of what the S could stand for. It puzzled them all.

"My Lord, oh, I know I've heard that before!" Kagome said in frustration. Her family, and all of Honshu (1) for that matter, knew of Yuka's disappearance.

"I know what you mean," Inu Yasha replied from his place next to her. "Listen, I'm thinking of going to that place and look for stuff about Sesshoumaru," Inu Yasha went on. He often went out by himself, now that he knew the part of Tokyo they lived in.

"Sesshoumaru! That's it!" She jumped up, yelling excitedly.

"What's it?" He asked, confused.

"Okay, you remember what Jaken called always called your brother?" Kagome asked, calming down a little.

"Yeah, my lord Sessh-," Inu Yasha stopped when he got what she was saying. "You don't think that he-?"

"I don't know, but it's a good start, and it fits," she told him. The next day at school, Kagome marched to the office and told the people inside it. At this, people rejoiced, even though they found not a single lead after that.

__

A week later...

Sota was out at a friend's house, while Mrs. Hiragashi was out getting food for that night's dinner. Jii-chan was busy running the shrine, which had become busy now that Yuka had disappeared. It was amazing what people would buy when they were worried. Aunt Umeko and Uncle Shiro had gone home the previous week, Inu Yasha was gone, out trying to find what had happened to his older half -brother, which left Kagome home alone. She used the peace and quiet to study for a bit, but when she got bored, she found herself taking a small nap.

"Wha?" She questioned herself when the phone ringing woke her. "Hello?" She answered, picking up the phone.

"Kagome?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yuka! Are you okay," Kagome answered, recognizing her friend's voice immediately.

"Listen, I don't have long to talk. Can you meet me somewhere?" Yuka's voice rang through.

"Sure," Kagome instantly replied.

"Meet me under that weird old tree at your house in 20 minutes," Kagome was told.

"Okay, no problem doing that," Kagome told her friend.

"Come alone," Yuka added, hanging up on her friend.

"Okay," Kagome answered to nobody.

__

20 minutes later...

"Gome!" Yuka said, hugging her friend.

"Yuki, where have you been?" Kagome asked her friend. Both were using their kids names for each other.

"With a guy," Yuka answered.

"Everyone's worried about you," Kagome informed her friend. Both started crying, hugging each other tightly.

"I know," Yuka sobbed.

"Who've you been with?" Kagome asked, wiping her tears away.

"You!" A masculine voice yelled form behind Kagome. She recognized it.

"He's here," Yuka told her friend. Kagome turned around to see a very familiar face.

"I thought you and my weakling half brother had died ages ago," he said to Kagome.

"What happened after you took Rin away?" Kagome questioned.

"Do you know each other?" Yuka broke in, slightly confused.

"You could say that," Kagome answered.

"Sesshoumaru, you still haven't replied. Tell me what happened. Did you kill Shippo, or his and Rin's child?" Kagome asked.

"Huh, Kagome, his name's not Sesshoumaru, its Kyushu (2)," Yuka told her friend.

"Well, well, well, I never thought I'd see that face again," a wise cracking voice drifted down.

"Little brother," Sesshoumaru said.

"What's it to you?" He replied, jumping down from his perch in the Goshinboku.

"Why are you here? I thought you had died along her," Sesshoumaru began, pointing at Kagome, "looking for those shards."

"We found them all," Kagome chipped in.

"I see that now. So, you used the jewel to become fully human. Interesting and here I thought you slaughtered in your quest," Sesshoumaru said, chuckling at his own private joke.

"What's going on here?" Yuka asked frightened.

"A reunion of sorts, my dear," Sesshoumaru replied. "Only, what happedned to the slayer girl, her youkai neko (3), and the monk you traveld with?" He asked.

"None of your damn business," Inu Yasha growled.

"Kyushu?" Yuka asked.

"Yes?" Answered Sesshoumaru.

"So, you're using your title instead of your name are you? How interesting," commented Inu Yasha.

"You, girl, come with me," Sesshoumaru commanded, pointing to Kagome.

"Not without me," Inu Yasha demanded. His brother sighed, but bade for them to get into the car that had brought him adn Yuka.

"Home," Sesshoumaru told the driver. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at an elaborate estate.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Kagome commented.

"Thank you," Sesshoumaru replied. Walking inside, Kagome found herself in even more awe. "You two, come with me," Sesshoumaru added, talking to Kagome and Inu Yasha.

"What about me?" Yuka asked.

"I need to speak to these two, alone," Sesshoumaru told the girl. Yuka ran off to another part of the house. "Follow me." As Inu Yasha and Kagome followed Sesshoumaru, a very familiar pest greeted them.

"Master Inu Yasha!" Yelled the ecstatic Myouga.

"Myouga, so, you've been with my brother all these years," said Inu Yasha, squishing the flea between his fingers.

"Sit down," Sesshoumaru told the, pointing to a couch. He himself stood, looking out a window. Kagome sat on teh couch and Inu Yasha joined her. "So, you want to know about the past?" He asked. Kagome nodded. "Well then, tell me what you know," he commanded.

"We know that when Rin arrived to teh village Shippo lived in, they became friends. Rin became pregnant with Shippo's kid, and you took Rin away," Kagome informed the Inu youkai, Sesshoumaru.

"After that, I brought Rin to my home, so she would be safe. I had grown to love her as a daughter the years when she traveld with me. She died in labor, but the child, a girl, lived. I named the girl Yumemaru. I raised Yumemaru, but when she was 17, she ran away and married a human man. That started the line from which your friend Yuka is descended. I've watched over, adn protected that family through the centuries. But as I watched the girl, Yuka, I've noticed a presence other than myself watching over her. As you may have noted, she looks remarkably like Rin. Fearing for her safety, I brought her to my home," Sesshoumaru told them.

"Could the presence be a good one?" Kagome asked.

"I doubt it. And it is not your kitsune friend, Shippo; he died shortly after Rin died. I must inquire though, what happened to the others you traveld with?" Sesshoumaru told her.

"Sango and Kirara died in teh battle with Naraku, and Miroku disappeared," Kagome told the inu youkai. The four sat in silence for a while. "Sesshoumaru, it's getting kind of late," Kagome noted after a bit.

"So it is, I shall have the driver take you back to the tree," he replied, sounding somewhat shocked by how much time had passed. The four went outside, and Sesshoumaru got a look on his face, then hurried back inside. He came back several minutes later, this time with Yuka.

"Huh, but Sesshoumaru, I thought you were going to keep Yuka here with you," Kagome said after he ordered her adn Inu Yasha to protect the girl.

As they were getting into the car, Sesshoumaru yelled, "catch little brother!" Throwing something at Inu Yasha whom caught it.

"What the-?" Yelped the once hanyou. "Huh, but Sesshoumaru, I thought you wanted the Te-" Inu Yasha began, but was cut off by Sesshoumaru, who told him to keep it.

A/N: Just two chapter this time, but then again, this one is mostly dialogue. I believe the next chapter will be just two as well. So any guesses as to what it was the Sesshoumaru gave Inu Yasha.

1) Honshu, the largest of the four main islands, which are Hokkaido, Honshu, and two others that I've forgotten at the moment. Hokkaido is the northernmost, while Honshu is the one where most of the large cities, including Tokyo and Kyoto are located.

(2) Kyushu, it's a word that means Lord of the Western Lands. It's what Sesshoumaru had Yuka call him.

(3) youkai neko, a phrase that means full-blooded demon cat. In other words, another thing to call Kirara. Which by the way, is pronounced Kilala, but written as Kirara.

Disclaimer: I own not a thing in this chapter. Doesn't that suck for me. Ja ne till next time!


	5. Guess who's back!

As they drove off, Inu Yasha held the gift from Sesshoumaru in his lap, sparing glances at it whenever he thought the two girls weren't watching him. That made the two of them giggle, and their giggling was annoying Inu Yasha.

"Master Inu Yasha, I shall accompany you at the moment," Myouga told the once hanyou.

"Yeah, whatever," was Inu Yasha's reply.

:Inu Yasha, what did your brother give you?" Kagome asked. She didn't get an answer from him because at that moment they arrived at the Goshinboku. Kagome, Inu Yasha, and Yuka all walked over to Yuka's house.

"Yuka!" Her mother yelled, squeezing her daughter tightly. Everyone was ecstatic to see the girl. "Where were you?" Her mother asked after awhile.

"A friend's house," Yuka answered, sharing a glance with Kagome.

"Yuka, we'll be back soon," Kagome whispered in her friend's ear. Yuka mouthed okay, and Kagome and Inu Yasha left. As they walked home, they walked as they had the day they'd first gone to the library, with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. When they got within seeing distance of her house, they quickly stopped and walked normal. After giving her family a quick rundown of her day, not mentioning Sesshoumaru, she found her family almost as ecstatic as Yuka's had been. Later, after everyone had eaten, they all went to the living room. Kagome, Sota, and Inu Yasha sat on the floor, while Mrs. Hiragashi and Jii-chan sat on the couch. Sota popped in a movie, which the family watched for the next few hours. When the movie was over, everyone retired to their own spots. Kagome went to her room and accidentally closed her door in Inu Yasha's face.

"Sorry," she apologized afterward. He grumbled something but sat on the edge of her bed. "So, what did Sesshoumaru give you?" She asked. He pulled out the gift adn showed her. "I don't believe it, he actually gave you the Te-" She stopped as her mother walked in at that moment to tell them that it was getting late. "Wow," she went on after her mother left. Opening her window, she let the night air drift into her room. Sighing, she sat down next to Inu Yasha, leaning against him. She didn't notice it, but his face became a shade of red that was much darker than his fire rat kimono. They sat like that for a while.

"Kagome?" He asked after awhile. A small sigh came from he. Peering over his shoulder he found her asleep. Somehow, he was able to lay Kagome on her bed. He noticed her shivering, and closed her window, covering her with her blanket. Sitting on the floor, he watched the moon, later falling asleep. Myouga watched this, then heading off to Sesshoumaru's place.

Kagome's eyes fluttered when she woke. Not really remembering the night before, she sat up in her bed. It came to her a few moments later though.

"Hey, Inu Yasha," she whispered to him. He didn't respond. "Inu Yasha," she tried again. Still no response. She knew he'd sleep for hours, if not all day. That always happened when he got like this. Seeing as he would not wake, she basically threw Inu Yasha out into the hallway.

Coming out about half an hour later, she found him still snoozing in the hallway, though now Sota was prodded his body with a stick he'd somehow had in his room. Ignoring them, she headed downstairs, making toast for herself, then running off to school. After school was over, Kagome phoned home to tell her mother that she'd be getting home a little later than normal.

"Yu, I can't believe you're back!" Eri screeched.

"I know, it's amazing. But Yuka, where were you?" Ayumi asked. Kagome and Yuka shared a secret glance, and both smiled.

"With a friend," Yuka told them. Eri adn Ayumi were confused by that, but just shrugged it off.

"Don't sweat the small stuff you guys. Yuki's back and that's all that matters," Kagome told them. Smiling, her friends and her locked arms and walked to their homes.

"Ri, call me tonight, okay?" Yuka said as the four went their separate ways.

"Sure," Eri called back. The next two weeks seemed dull and boring as nothing exciting seemed to happen.

"Finally! Summer vacation!" Kagome cheered with her friends.

"Here, here!" Eri joined in. The girls giggled, and walked towards the ice cream store that was situated right across from Nishi High School. Seeing friends here and there, they enjoyed their afternoon.

"So, Eri, I heard you got accepting into Tokyo University, is it true?" Ayumi asked.

"Yeah," Eri admitted sheepishly. Jaws dropped as the entire place stared at the four girls.

"Tokyo U?" Hushed whispers went through the place.

"Did you hear that?"

"Tokyo U? Wow."

"Didn't she go to Nishi High?"

"Nishi High? Doesn't that place have the highest dropout count in the country?" Sensing that Eri wasn't at ease anymore, the four left.

"See guys later!" Ayumi called when they split. Whistling a merry tune, Kagome walked up the stairs to her home.

"Hey! I'm home," she called.

"We're in the living room," her mother's voice replied back. Heading to the living room, Kagome found her aunt and uncle, and three people she'd never seen before sitting on the couch and loveseat.

"Hello Kagome," her aunt greeted her.

"Hello Uncle Shiro, Aunt Umeko," she replied. The strangers were a man and a woman about her mother's age, and a teen boy that looked about her own.

"Kagome, this is Mr. and Mrs. Akio, and their son, Maitreya," Aunt Umeko told her niece.

"Hello," she greeted them, bowing slightly. The Akio's did the same.

"Kagome, the Akio's are new to Tokyo, and I was hoping that you might show Maitreya around the neighborhood," Aunt Umeko went on.

"Sure, but I have to get something from my room first," she told them. She ran up to her room and grabbed Sesshoumaru's gift to Inu Yasha. "Okay, let's go," she said when she back down. The two teens left.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"To my friend's house. I have to give her this," Kagome answered, pointing to the bundle she held in her hands. When they got to Yuka's, Kagome handed her friend the bundle.

"What grade are you in?" Maitreya asked after they'd left Yuka's.

"I just graduated form high school," Kagome answered. "What about you?"

"Same," he replied.

"That's cool." The two walked together, talking about an odd assortment of stuff.

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome yelled out when she saw the once hanyou turned human. Inu Yasha turned around and jogged back to the two teens, putting himself between Kagome and Maitreya.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," she answered.

"Hey Kagome, who is this guy?" Inu Yasha asked.

"He's Maitreya. He's the son of a couple of my aunt's friends," she told him.

"The one who didn't like me?" He asked.

"Yeah," she answered, and they started laughing. "So, had did things go at your brother's?"

"Just the usual," he answered back. They reached the Hiragashi shrine, just as it began to rain. By the time they were inside, it was pouring.

"Oh, dear, it looks like you may have to spend the night," Mrs. Hiragashi said. later, when everyone sat down to eat, Kagome found herself sitting between her aunt and Maitreya. Her uncle sat on the other side of her aunt, and her mother next to him. The other five people sat on the other side of the table.

A/N: Three chapters today. It would have been two, but there was not much from the first two. My first parade is tonight! I'm nervous. (Written on Wednesday, not Thursday.) Yes, I do write out the chapters the day before I post them. Not like it matters any.

Anyone want to check out a cool web comic? Then I suggest you go to It's an awesome site, and comic. I actually got to meet it's creator/ and one of the main characters, Fred Gallagher a.k.a Piro. If you don't feel like reading the entire thing online, you could get books one and two from a library or a bookstore. I think a third volume's coming out soon, but I'm not sure.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha, nor any of it's peoples/places/ and/or events. I do not own Tokyo University, which is a real college in Tokyo. I own Nishi High, but you can use it. I DO own the Akio's and Shiro and Umeko. They CANNOT be used in any story at all. They can only be used by me OR THOSE WHO HAVE MY PERMISSION.

If you use them without MY PERMISSION, I WILL REPORT YOU.


	6. Aunt Umeko's plan

No one spoke as the family and guests ate their dinner. Soon after dinner was finished, Mrs. Hiragashi showed the Akio family where they could sleep.

"Inu Yasha, would you mind if Maitreya were to use your bed tonight?" She asked.

"I don't mind," he replied. With that, Sota dragged both teen boys off to his room, ready to show them his mad skills on Street fighter, his current obsession. While the adults talked about things that didn't really concern Kagome, she headed up to her room. Inu Yasha was thirsty and headed downstairs to get a glass of water. He stopped when he heard Kagome's name.

"-Kagome, she's a very sweet girl."

"Really?"

"Yes, and I believe she'd be a lovely match with your son." Inu Yasha growled softly.

"Umeko, let Kagome decide who she's going to marry." He silently cheered.

"Shinju, you know that if she's going to have a good life, it's important to marry a wealthy boy, right, Keiko?"

"Yes, although, you know what they say, arranged marriages work out better than ones that aren't." He growled softly again, his hand in a fist.

"But my daughter has a mind of her own." He nodded in agreement.

"Shinji, do you want your daughter to have a miserable life with that vagabond?" By now, Inu Yasha was really getting pissed off. Then it dawned on him, he'd only heard female voices. Where were Kagome's ojii-chan (1), her uncle, and the stranger? Hearing some voices outside, he looked out the window and found the men talking. By now the women had moved onto a different topic, though he found himself not thirsty anymore. He walked back upstairs, but taking a look in Sota's room, he found the two other boy busy on the play station. Being bored, he knocked on Kagome's door, he figured she ought to know what had happened downstairs.

"Who is it?" Her voice called.

"Me," he replied.

"Come in," she called, sitting up. "What's wrong?" She asked seeing his face.

"Nothing, my stomach's just a little unsettled," he answered somewhat truthfully. It was true that his stomach felt a little unsettled, but so did his heart. He knew the only thing keeping Kagome away form an arranged marriage with that _boy_ was Mrs. Hiragashi, and he really hoped her will was strong enough to stand up to the other two women. Just then there was another knock on Kagome's door.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Kagome, you know who I am," Umeko's voice replied.

"Come in," she called. Inu Yasha gave her a look, but left quickly. It wasn't until after he'd left the room that he remembered what he'd come to tell her. HE stood outside her door and eavesdropped again.

"What's up?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, nothing much," her aunt replied. "Say, Kagome, what are your plans for the future?"

"I don't know. I'm going to the Miyuki University (2) in Kyoto," Kagome told her aunt.

"A school dedicated to history? I thought your dream was to become a veterinarian," her aunt asked.

"It was, but I've changed. I find history fascinating, but stuff like biology and math are getting boring and I just don't like them anymore," Kagome informed her aunt. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I was just curious," Umeko quickly told her niece. After a few minutes, her aunt spoke up again. "Kagome, what do you think of Maitreya?"

"He's nice and we've got a lot in common," Kagome answered truthfully. Inu Yasha breathed, not realizing he'd held his breath when Umeko had asked her last question.

"His family has a house in Kyoto," Umeko told the girl.

"He told me that earlier," Kagome answered. He heard her give a give a sigh.

"You know, I think you'll be seeing more of Maitreya," and with that she left. Inu Yasha quickly ran into the bathroom, which was right across the hall from Kagome's room. He didn't like what Umeko had meant by her last sentence.

The next morning the Akio family left. Over the next few days, Kagome and Maitreya became friends, and unbeknownst to the two teens, Aunt Umeko was trying to play matchmaker and get the two to fall in love.

"Inu Yasha, are you alright?" Kagome asked. It was about a month later, and Inu Yasha still seemed unwell over something. They were in her room, with her laying on her bed, him sitting at her desk. What she didn't know was that Inu Yasha had heard what her aunt had said to her, and the other things she'd said before that, about arranging a marriage for Kagome with Maitreya. He was still bothered by all that he had heard.

"Hey, can you come over here for a moment?" She asked. He got up and walked over to her. As soon as he sat down beside her, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down next to her, kissing him on the lips.

"Ai shite'ru," she whispered in his ear. Later, after he'd stopped blushing, he left.

He found he couldn't sleep. He pulled out a ring he'd had with him for most of his life. It had been a present to his mother, from his father. His father had given it to her as a birthday present the year Inu Yasha was born. It was a simple, yet elegant band of silver with a small jade stone in the center. The stone was shaped as a lotus flower, which had been his mother's favorite, and oddly enough, Kagome's as well. Knowing who he'd give it to, he put it back, finally able to fall asleep.

It took him almost a week to get the courage to give her the ring. They had been walking to the store, getting something for Mrs. Hiragashi when Inu Yasha stopped walking.

"What?" She asked, turning around. He told her to meet him under the Goshinboku after dinner. Later, after dinner, Kagome told her mom that she and Inu Yasha were going out to take a walk. Her mother's reply was for them to take as long as they needed, but to be back before dark. She said this with a wink at Inu Yasha, not letting Kagome see. He had a feeling that Mrs. Hiragashi knew.

"So, what'd you want Inu Yasha?" She asked.

"This is where we met," he said softly.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed. "It seems like just yesterday, even though it was only a few years ago. Or wait, would it be over 500 years ago? Time travel is confusing," she went on.

"You know, for a while, I really did want to kill you. The only thing stopping me were those beads," he continued.

"Which I still have," Kagome put in.

"Yeah, you do," he gave a nervous chuckle. "But, I don't know when it was, but suddenly, I didn't want to kill you anymore, just protect you," he went on.

"Okay," she said hesitantly.

"And now, I just want to hold you forever," he told her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Willyoubemymate?" He rushed out.

"Huh? What was th-" she stopped, her brain processing his words. She looked at him, his face beet red, but the look in his eyes dead serious.

"Inu.. Yasha," she began, her voice full of awe. She knew how much this had to embarrass him.. He wasn't the type to do stuff like this. They sat in silence for a few moments. Then she said a word, a fatal word. He almost hadn't heard her, she'd said it so softly, and he thought his ears weren't working properly. But as soon as he saw her face, she found that ring on her finger faster than she ever could have yelled sit in the old days.

Entwining hands, the two walked back up to the house. She asked him about the ring. He told her and she let his words sink in. The ring had belonged to his mother, which meant it was really important to him.

"Ai shite'ru, my aisuru (3)," he told her. They walked inside and as soon as Mrs. Hiragashi saw her daughter's finger, she let out a squeal of enjoyment. Jii-chan and Sota had to have it spelled out to them, but as soon as they realized what had happened, they were both glad for Kagome. Sota was ecstatic to find that Inu Yasha was going to be his new big brother. Her mother arranged the wedding, not letting her daughter do a thing at all. In just three weeks time it was ready. They were going to get married under the Goshinboku, and very few people would know. Just Kagome's friends' Yuka, Ayumi, Eri, and Hojo, along with her mother, brother, and grandfather were there for Kagome. Sesshoumaru, and Myouga, though hidden in the youkai's hair, along with Kagome's friends' families were there. When Yuka had seen her Kyushu, she rushed over to greet him, much to everyone's surprise. That was when she came clean about who she'd been with when she had disappeared. So, all in all, there were about 20 guests.

It was agreed that the two would live in one of Sesshoumaru's houses that he had in Kyoto. It seemed that he had a real estate business, of which he made his younger brother a partner.

"A gift to my little brother and his bride," he'd told them. "If you don't take it for free, I'll just rent it out to someone," he'd went on to say. Luckily, it was in Kyoto, near the Miyuki University, so Kagome could easily walk to and from her school. After nearly a year, Kagome got a call from her mother.

"Kagome, can you come back to Tokyo for a while?" Her mother asked.

"Why?" Kagome asked, her mother's tone of voice scaring her.

"It's Jii-chan. Kagome, he's dying."

A/N: And that's were we end today's chapter. It was only two chapters long today, but they were important, and actually long ones. I did add Inu Yasha's eavesdropping in. But, the first conversation was made up on the spot, while the second was part of the original story. His eavesdropping wasn't but I added that in. Heck, he wasn't even near her room at the time in the original story. I think that this is the fluffiest chapter in the story. It's about to get bad for Kagome and Inu. Like most of the chapter is from chapter 14. From the part where it says, "It took him almost a week to get the courage to give her the ring." is chapter 15, so, that's how long 14 is. I am still working on chapter 19, but I've got some inspiration recently.

Oh, and to my main reviewer, you know who you are!, I have an update schedule. Check out my profile sometime and you'll see it. It shows when I'll update every story I've got.

(1) ojii-chan; It means grandfather. Jii-chan doesn't mean grandfather, but it means grandpa or gramps. It's used by girls adn young boys, but if used by anyone else, it's disrespectful.

(2) Miyuki University, I made it up, but it could be real. If it is, then I do not own it, and if it is, I don't know where it is.

(3) Ai shite'ru, my aisuru. It's a phrase, and since I don't know that romaji word fro my, I used the Eigo, English, word for it. It means, I love you, my sweetheart. Aisuru means sweetheart, and Eigo is pronounced Eggo, you know, like the waffles.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha, nor it's peoples/places/ and/or things. The only things I own are the Akio family, Aunt Umeko, Uncle Shiro, and Kagome's ring. If i find any of these have been used without MY EXPRESS PERMISSION, I WILL report you. It's not fair to an authoress/author to use their characters without their permission. That is one of the few things I will report a person on.

Speaking of that, I've got a copy of a petion about one of ff.net's policies. If you want to sign it, leave a signed review, or your email address. I will contact you.


	7. It's been forever, but here's an update!

Luckily for Kagome, it happened to be the very start of her summer vacation. She would have gone anyways, but still, it couldn't have been worked out better for her. Well, the two left that night after some hurried packing and drove until they reached the Hiragashi shrine. They had reached the shrine and though Kagome wanted to see her ojii-chan right away, her mother insisted that she get some rest and that she could speak to him in the morning.

Kagome sighed, knowing her mother had won and sat down on the bed. Mrs. Hiragashi had put Kagome in her old room, and a cot for Inu Yasha in there as well. The next morning, she was the first to wake. Running to her grandfather's room, Kagome found him awake. After talking a bit, she felt better. They'd gotten in their last words to each other. That night, Jii-chan died.

The next day, all the Hiragashi relatives came. And by all the relatives, I mean all of their (living) relatives. Most stayed at various hotels, but Aunt Umeko and Uncle Shiro stayed with Kagome and her family.

"Kagome, how have you been this past year or so?" Umeko asked her niece when they were alone.

"Busy," Kagome replied.

:Well, what do you do in your free time?" Asked Umeko, Kagome's ever nosy aunt.

"I read a lot," was her niece's reply.

"Hmm, you're a pretty girl, I bet you get asked out on dates all the time," her aunt stated.

"Not really," Kagome answered truthfully.

"Waiting for that one special guy?" Her aunt cracked a smiled.

"You could say that," Kagome responded.

"I saw Maitreya the other day," Umeko told her niece.

"Really?" Kagome asked, wondering if she'd see her friend.

"It seems he is quite infatuated with you," her aunt told her niece, picking lint off of her sweater.

"You don't say," Kagome prompted.

"It's true, and of, I don't know, maybe you could go on a date with him while your in town," her aunt said, trying to coerce her niece into going on a date with the Akio's son.

"I couldn't," Kagome insisted.

"Oh, I get it, you've got a crush on him don't you?" Umeko said, giggling slightly.

"Auntie Umeko, I can't go on a date with Maitreya, and even if I could, I wouldn't," Kagome stated.

"And why the hell not? He comes from a respectable family, he's got money, and he's good looking. Half the girls in the country would gladly take him form you," Umeko informed her niece.

"Then let one of those girls have him," Kagome said irritably.

"He's the total opposite of that vagabond boy," Umeko told her niece. 'Actually, there more alike than you think,' Kagome thought with a smile.

"Auntie, I guess you've gotta know, though I though mama told you, but I'm married to , how shall I say this, the vagabond boy," Kagome told her aunt. Her aunt stared at her, then out of anger, slapped her niece in a way that only hurts if a female does it. Or, as it's commonly called, Kagome was bitch slapped by her aunt, which really hurts quite a bit.

Kagome stormed off to her room and sat on her bed, a headache forming.

"Hey, are you okay?" Inu Yasha asked her. She must have fallen asleep because she didn't answer. He was still envious of how she could sleep with her eyes open. Even after the many years he'd known her, he still couldn't figure out how she could do that, though when he looked at her eyes, he was a bit creeped out. With a shrug, he let her take her nap.

She hadn't been sleeping well the past few nights and he felt he should let her sleep when she could. Looking around the room, he began to pack all their stuff away, seeing as they were heading back to Kyoto the next day. While he was doing that, he thought of how his life had changed so much the past four years.

Kagome stayed in bed all day, and ever so often, Mrs. Hiragashi or Inu Yasha would come up to see if she was awake, but she didn't. By the next morning, she was still asleep, and when he looked at her, Inu Yasha felt he was looking at a corpse.

Kagome found herself by the well. But, she was in the Feudal Era, not her family's well house. Although, she noted that the well house was built and maintained by someone, maybe a villager who remembered her.

"How'd I end up here?" She asked herself. Taking a look around the well house, she found a bow and arrows. "Wait a minute, this is MY bow. How'd it end up here?" She wondered aloud. Not knowing where else to go, she headed towards the village, her feet automatically knowing the way, bow in hand with her arrows slung over her shoulder. When she reached the village, almost everyone stared at her, surprised to see the strange woman. A few looked like they were going to ask her something, and a few children wandered over to her, walking with the girl.

"Excuse me, but where is the village priestess?" Kagome asked a young woman about her age.

"We do not have a priestess anymore, not since-" the girl began.

"Kaede," Kagome finished.

"Yes, how did you know that?" Asked the girl. Kagome just smiled.

"My name's Kagome, what's yours?" Asked Kagome.

"Yumemaru," replied the girl. Kagome knew she'd heard that name before, but simply shrugged it off as someone she'd met in her time. "We do have a priest, and I'm sure he'll let you stay with him if you need a place to rest for the night," Kagome was told.

"Thanks, Yumemaru-sama," Kagome replied.

"Please, call me Yume," the girl insisted.

"Alright, but then you have to call me Kagome," Kagome answered. Yume invited Kagome over to her home for some tea and when Kagome and Yume took food to the sick people Yume tended, Kagome helped, remembering what Kaede had taught her about different plants. Just as the two were passing through the village to go to an elderly man's home, Kagome gave a yelp and turned around, Yume doing the same.

"It can't be!" Yelled the man.

"No way!" Kagome yelled. Yume slapped him, and Kagome had to giggle a little.

"Miroku-sama, meet Kagome, my friend," Yume introduced them. "Kagome this is the village priest, Miroku-sama." But by that time the two were hugging, and her jaw dropped.

"Wow, I thought I'd never see you again," Miroku told the newcomer. Kagome gave another yelp and soon her friend was slapped, again.

"It was worth the pain," Miroku sighed.

"I'll bet it was," Kagome said darkly. Then a thought came to her. "Hey, Miroku, guess what, I'm married to Inu Yasha." She laughed as the monk's face drained of most of it's color.

"He's not here is he?" Asked her friend.

"No, at least, I don't think he is," she replied.

"Ahh, I see you found your bow and arrows," Miroku said out of the bloom.

"Yeah, hey, do you know who built the well house?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, me," the monk replied. Kagome stared at him.

"Wow, and it still exists in my time," Kagome told him. A thought came to her. "Hey, Miroku, how long has it been since the last time I was here?"

"Oh, about twenty years," the monk replied.

A/N: Well, short, I know, but I like this better than the original version. After this, I'll start having to come up with things when I write the chapters. I've got a part of the next chapter written out, but not much. I am also going back to my old update schedule, Tuesday's and Thursday's.

Well, I'm back form Nagataka, which I still don't get why people like it so much. Just so you know, I might have teh Nagataka reviewers come after me, because I told them that I wasn't going to write the sequel until this story is over, so they may come after me. Sorry I didn't update while I was working on Nagataka, but it was hard getting out the 13 chapters in little over a week. I could do chapter 6 of CLRGL because most of it was written out, and I could do my revision of ANSST and My Bloody Valentine because I did them after I was done with Nagataka. It happens to be that ANSST was put up the night it was finished and MBV wasn't.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or it's people/places/ and/or things. I own Umeko and Yumemaru, you use them and I'll sue you. ::Sees angry Nagataka reviewers:: Will you guys please protect me? ::Hides behind her reviewers::


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